Ireland batter Rebecca Stokell has admitted to breaching the International Cricket Council's (ICC) anti-doping regulations after a sample collected during the 2026 T20 World Cup returned an adverse finding for a specified substance. The 26-year-old has accepted a voluntary suspension, effective from October 23, 2026, while the disciplinary process continues.

According to an ICC statement released on Monday, "Following the receipt of the notification, Stokell has admitted the violation, which arose from her use of prescription medication, and accepted a voluntary suspension effective 23 October 2026 pending the outcome of the disciplinary process," the ICC said.

Stokell also accepted responsibility for the mistake, expressing hope that she would return to international cricket soon. "I fully accept my mistake and have voluntarily entered into a period of suspension ahead of the findings being returned. While this was not performance related in any way, I understand that I am responsible for following the anti-doping guidelines and I hope that I can be back playing for Ireland as soon as possible," she said.

The sample was collected during an in-competition test on June 23, 2026, when Stokell represented Ireland in their T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Bristol. Ireland lost that match by nine wickets and finished the tournament with just one victory from five games.

Stokell featured in all five matches of the tournament but had a difficult campaign with the bat, scoring 40 runs at an average of 10, with a highest score of 16 not out. The batter made her international debut in 2017 and has since represented Ireland in 29 ODIs and 80 T20Is. She has scored 468 runs in the 50-over format and 908 runs in T20Is, including three and one half-centuries respectively.

Her most recent international assignment was Ireland's ODI series against England in September 2026, which the hosts won 3-0.

The suspension comes as a setback for Stokell, who will now have to wait for the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings before making her return to international cricket.